Becciu tells cardinals ‘media pillory’ made him skip Chrism Mass

The convicted cardinal insisted on his innocence as he faces more than five years in prison

Cardinal Angelo Becciu, the now-convicted former papal chief of staff, told cardinals last week that he was not able to attend the Vatican’s Holy Thursday Chrism Mass because of it would attract unwanted media attention. 

Becciu sent a March 26 letter to the College of Cardinals, to denounce his criminal conviction for fraud and embezzlement, and to anno…